Time Machine
by ginytah
Summary: If you love it let it go, they said. Who would have thought it would be this hard. Chandler goes back in time and plays matchmaker as he struggles to fall out of love. Be careful of what you wish for. M/C. Read and Review.
1. Is this real life

_It's 1:30 AM, and instead of studying for my lab midterm I'm writing this thing. This is my first Friends fanfic, and my first fanfic in English ever, which as you can see is not my first language so please, at least, be respectful, and of course, critical, I appreciate anything and everything. I don't know how original this idea is, but I wanted to share it with you anyway. This is a M/C story if you didn't know already._

_The only think you need to know: this takes place at season 9 after TOW the fertility test and season 2 right after Ross and Rachel got together._

_Disclaimer: I don't own the characters but I wouldn't mind __an orgy__._

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><p><strong>Is this the<strong> _**real life**_**? **(is this just fantasy?)

He woke up to a long forgotten, yet familiar coldness.

His hand reached the other side of the bed as he stretched, patting the empty spot a couple times, till he realized he had woken up alone. When he finally got up, he had to rub his eyes to confirm the scene before him wasn't a dream. He was at his room, his old room at Joey's. But, _why_ _was he here?_

He didn't remember him and Monica having a fight, in which case he would've woken up on their couch, right across the hall. And wasn't this Rachel's room anyway? because it ceirtanly didn't look like a woman's room, come to think of it, it looked exactly like his old room -he scanned it once more just to be sure, from the window to the door, from the ceiling to the floor, as he went to open the drapes- yeah, **definitely **his bachelor room.

He stood there for what seemed like hours, feeling dizzy, trying to remember how he got there. - - How do you explain things like this? - He thought, too overwhelmed to even feel scared. Maybe he was still dreaming.

Or worse, _maybe the last five or so years of his life had been a dream_.

He did remember yesterday though, vividly, it had been one of his worst days ever, the day he found out he couldn't give her wife a baby. And then... no, it couldn't be it, could it?

His thought were interrupted by a familiar voice calling him from outside the room, he rushed into the kitchen, hoping all his questions would be answered soon.

-Hey! - He greeted. - I made pancakes for you and... - he motioned at his bedroom door; as usual he couldn't remember the name of the girl he spent his night with - my date - he finally said.

Thanks Joe- He took his place at the counter and stared blankly at the pancakes.

There was something about all this, something so nostalgic about this day, which suddenly made him miss his single life, just for a second. But then he remembered how miserable he used to be back then, and how many times he'd ended up heartbroken, that pain wasn't worth the freedom.

Then it hit him. What if, in fact, the happiest years of his life had all been a dream? How would he cope with that?

Joe - he whispered - wh- what day is today?

Saturday - He answered simply, taking another bite of his pancake, oblivious to Chandler's worries.

So it **was** Saturday after all, which was a good sign, because he remembered yesterday being Friday. Maybe it was all in his mind, maybe he did have a fight with Mon, maybe he got drunk and ended up there, that would explain the not remembering.

I know it's Saturday, I mean...- he realized the question he was about to make would make him look like he was crazy - Never mind, I'll just pick up the newspaper.

And so he made his way to the door, walking one step at a time, until finally reaching the doorknob, turning it to the right in slow motion, as if he was about to discover the meaning of life. And as he bent over, he heard how the door in front of him opened slowly, he could see her in the corner of his eye, now he needed a better view.

_And there she was_

Short messy hair, sleepy eyes, greeting him with a small smile.-Morning- and as soon as she said it, the moment was over. She went back in with nothing else left to say.

And he knew it, just by looking at her he knew it, there was no need for confirmation, but he did it anyway, he looked down to his hands, his eyes went straight to the little number on the corner of the paper.

_1996. _

And there was only him to blame, this is what **he** had wished for after all.

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><p><em>They broke apart from the hug and looked into each other's eyes, he held her shoulders, reassuring.<em>

_-We'll get through this-_

_-What if we __**don't**__, Chandler? I know what I said but... I can't help feeling like this, I can't help having doubts- he voice shaking, her eyes filling up with tears again._

_-I know- _

_He felt guilty; he knew it was half his fault. To be honest, it was nobody's fault, but somehow the situation made his old insecurities resurface and blame it all on himself._

_He felt so helpless; he didn't want to be the cause of her misery. He'd taken their future for granted but now he didn't know anymore._

_"if only" he thought "If only I knew about this back then, I wouldn't have let you marry me"._

_As much as it hurt him to even think of not being with her, it was true, she deserved better than him, she deserved a man who could give her what she always wanted, a baby. Now it was too late for that, the way he saw it, she was stuck with him; but one thing was for sure, if he had a chance to go back in time, he would chose her happiness over his, every time , even if that meant hey could not be together. That night he went to bed with that single thought on his head._

To be continued…

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><p>So, I'm all ears, tell me what you think about it, I'm planning on making him suffer a lot *insert plan laugh here* no, but seriously, what did you think.<p>

Now excuse me while I go back to my boring Brinell and Vickers and Rockwell Hardness shit.


	2. 3 seconds from falling

_Thanks for the reviews, I really appreciate it. Before I go on I just wanted to say I've had this idea for like half a year, and it's nothing more than this little story I make up in my head before I go to sleep, and it had changed so many times I have no idea how it's going to end. I'm not going to lie; I'm a sucker for the drama so it may not have a happy end._

_Disclaimer: I don't own the characters… yet._

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><p><strong>3 seconds from falling.<strong>

_Why today?_

Of all the days before him and Monica got together, why did he wake up today, February 8 of 1996?

He needed a clue, anything to trigger the memories and make him understand his purpose, because whatever, or whoever put him in there, wanted him to do something that couldn't be done any other time.

I had fun with you last night – That was Rachel's voice, coming closer from the hall , followed by the sound of a wet kiss. They stopped walking for a moment, now facing each other.

Me too, I wish I didn't have to work today - And that was Ross, confirming his suspicions – But I'll make up for it I promise, tonight I'll take you out to a romantic dinner… and maybe later…- He made a suggestive noise accompanied with a smirk.

So they were still together, maybe this was the clue he needed, but for how long? They had been together for almost a year the first time, a lot of things happen in the course of a year.

He couldn't help but notice they sounded so calm and loving, "they'll never guess what's coming" thought Chandler, still eavesdropping. Then something occurred to him; now that he new what was going to happen, he could prevent Ross from making the worst mistake of his life, cheating on Rachel. They would stay together and do things the right way.

Oh shot! I promised Monica I'd be her waitress today, she's really exited about her catering busi- Ross interrupted her with another kiss. – Ok, I'll get out of it – she said between kisses.

Monica's catering business. He had totally forgotten about that. Oh yeah, He knew this part, now Phoebe would take Rachel's place as a waitress. That wasn't that relevant was it? So what else happened that day that was too important to miss? This was starting to feel like a detective movie.

He didn't know why but all this thinking was making him hungry, so he made his way to the only place with enough food to feed a Joey. Monica and his apartment, which wasn't _his_ anymore… he had to keep remembering himself that. And the fact that his wife wasn't his wife anymore was something he was putting a lot of effort into not thinking about.

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><p>-Hello children- He greeted, trying to sound like his old self. He had definitely changed through the years; he became more mature and confident, to the point that it was obvious even to himself.<p>

Oh, Chandler, it's so good you're here – Phoebe said from her spot at the kitchen table – I've been looking for you all morning.

Well, I'm certainly not on your cereal bowl, so…- She just ignored his comment and went on.

Anyway, Joey said something about having a surprise for you, and told me not to let you go there till it's ready so, you have to stay here.

A surprise, huh? – what could it be? A meatball sub, a ticket to the Knicks, it could be old, stinky undies for all he cared. How was he supposed to remember what exactly happened that day? His thoughts were interrupted once again, for the umpteenth time today.

Ok, I have everything ready for tonight, I only need to buy a few drinks and…-she looked up from the list she was holding - where the hell is my waitress? She was supposed to be here at nine for orientation-

Monica calm down, I'm sure she'll be here any minute - Phoebe said - Or maybe not – she changed her mind, suddenly remembering the recent events.

Oh this is just great! I'm here taking making sure everything's perfect while she's… playing tonsil hockey with my brother- she threw her hands in the air and let herself fall on the couch.

Come on Monica, cut her some slacks, it's only been a day since they got together, you more than anyone should be happy for them –

I am happy for them. You're right Phoebe, I can talk to her later, she doesn't need an orientation class from me- She gave up, getting up, defeated, yet wearing a smile.

God, she was adorable. How did he not fall for her before was out of his mind. He always saw her as this beautiful woman who lived across the hall, who also happened to be her best friend's sister, and who was way out of his league. And somehow, over the years, all those things he found annoying about her at first, slowly became those things he loved the most about her. And she was the reason why he was there, at this moment in time, trying to fulfill his promise, a promise he had made to himself, for all the times he had seen her heartbroken.

He promised he would never be the reason of her tears. Last night he had been it. This was his chance to fix it, that's what he couldn't allow his feelings to get in the way. After all, this wasn't even the beginning if it, the hardest part would come later, when he had to let her go.

This is really important to me, that's why I need every little detail to be perfect, It's for this friend of my father's , and if everything goes well he will recommend me to another doctor who's having a party next week, can you believe it? They're paying me big bucks! Big bucks! – She repeated cheerfully.

_A friend of my father's_

The words echoed in his head and he felt a lump form in his throat. That's why he was here, now. It was obvious from the start, he almost felt stupid for not considering the possibility. Of course, who else would be the perfect match for Monica other than the love of her life, the person she was meant to be with from the beginning?

"stop torturing yourself" he thought "you know she loved you more than she loved him, she even told you that". He frowned, it was as if he had the voices of an angel an a devil stuck on his head trying to drive him crazy.

But then he realized, there was no point in thinking about it. Because she didn't love him anymore, and she never would. And sooner more than later she would fall deeply, madly, head over heels in love with Richard.

Chandler, you're not gonna believe what I got us!- Joey stormed into the girl's apartment and grabbed chandler by the arm - Now, you need to close your eyes before you get in, I want it to be a surprise.

''Oh, I'm having a Déjà-vu" he suddenly remembered what was going to happen next.

Ok- As if he didn't know what it was

-Alright, no peeking. No peeking, no peeking, no peeking!- he insisted

-Alright, alright, but you better be wearing clothes when I open my eyes-

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><p><em>So, of all the elegant places in the city, why would you bring me to see the Swing Kings on our first serious date?-<em>

_I wanted to see you in a short backless dress- she smiled at his sincerity –now, I see it's not backless, which is why I'm a little disappointed- that comment made his arm the receiving end of a playful smack._

_No, but seriously, why?-_

_I saw them in this commercial, and I thought they were kind of cool, please don't judge me –_

_It was only a day ago since he had gathered the courage to ask her out, sure they had been doing it like rabbits for a month now, but a date implied something much more serious, which required a certain level of commitment. And he was ready, he really really liked her. To be honest, he had this huge crush on her that didn't seem to fade. The sex was amazing, the talking was amazing, hell, the whole thing just felt right._

_Are you taking me to the dance floor or what? – And there it was again, that smile he couldn't resist. He took her hand and led her closer to the stage._

_Neither of them had any idea of what they were doing, but God if it wasn't fun._

_-You're terrible at this - she said between laughs._

_- Look who's talking, you've stepped on my shoes four times –_

_-I did it on purpose the last two times- she replied with an evil smirk_

_-Oh yeah? – He pulled her closer with one quick motion, their hips touching – now you won't anymore._

_-This is kind of hot- this woman couldn't get enough, this was supposed to be a romantic date and she was already horny. Luckily, as soon as the fast song finished it was replaced by a much slower one, setting the mood he'd originally wanted._

_Her lips lingered on his for a second, and then she rested her head on his shoulders, her hips still moving at the rhythm of the music. He buried his face on her hair, smelling her shampoo, then placing his hands around her tiny waist. This was perfection. How did she do, what did she do to make him feel this way? To make him feel jealous of all the men who had ever touched her, kissed her, made love to her, danced with her. How he wished she was his and only his. She ran her fingers through his hair, causing him to smile like an idiot, an idiot he loved being._

_He kissed her hair and caressed her back until the song was over. Then they parted, never releasing the other's hand, and looked deeply into each other's eyes, letting the wave of emotions that had been building up from the beginning of the night, explode into a slow, never-ending kiss, neither of them said a word, instead they sat back down and continued making out, hand intertwined, for what seemed like hours. He knew he was in trouble, there was no turning back._

_There were no words on the way home, only their hands kept them together, refusing to let go._

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><p>So, that was the second chapter, it didn't come out quite as I expected, but Oh well, I'm a self proclaimed lazy person. About the chapter, gotta hate the random flashback, but I've always wanted to write that scene (cheeesy). Now that you know where this story is going (cough* Richard *cough) I hope you're ready for the angst. NTR NTR NTR.<p> 


	3. Lonely Day

Hi again guys, midterms are finally over, and I didn't do quite as well as I expected. But I'm confident I'll do better next time. Thanks for the reviews, hope you enjoy this third chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, but I'm working on it.

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><p><em>Lonely day<em>

It was a beautiful morning, sun shining, birds singing, and a horrible headache that wouldn't let him enjoy any of it. What a way to start the week. He had to go back to the job that he hated and had taken him so long to quit. He missed his new career, his newfound passion for advertising.

The bedroom felt cold as usual, the bed felt too big. This was his third week waking up alone and he already missed her like crazy. He still got to see her everyday, but it just wasn't the same. And the worst part was, she would never be his again, even if he gave up and tried to win her heart, she was way out of his league, and there was no way he could get her fair and square, she had to be drunk to even consider sleeping with him after all. He got up and rested his back on the headboard, his head about to explode and unable to stop spinning. Why getting drunk if he always regretted it in the morning?

"Mental note: never drink on a Sunday night again" he thought.

He sighed, suddenly remembering the reason of his hangover. She was with _him. _She was with him already and she seemed so fucking happy. Not that seeing her happy made him sad, it was the fact that she was happy with someone else.

Was there even a way to undo this? After all, he never really wished for it, he never thought of it as a possibility, it was just wishful thinking. Maybe that's all it takes to convince the gods of time, if such people existed. Frustration was the only way to describe this feeling that wouldn't go away.

This was torture.

Hey, you got any candles? - There she was again, wearing that silly grin that she couldn't wipe off her face since she had started dating Richard. She changed her expression at the sight of a very pale Chandler–Are you ok?

Do I look ok? – He sounded a little more resentful than he meant - And I think there are some candles on the second drawer.

You stink – She said, sniffing the air around him, getting closer – You stink of alcohol and cigarettes. Have you been smoking again?

He lowered his head in response

Chandler! We've talked about this! – She rested her hand on his shoulder –We're worried about your health. You promised you would never do it again. I won't tell the guys about it, only if you swear this time you're quitting for good.

He couldn't say no to her, she was always right in his mind. Just having her hand on his shoulder made him feel a lot better, and he wished he still had the right to hold her. Instead, he took her hand off his shoulder and kissed the top of it. She raised an eyebrow, a little surprised by his sudden change, but finally smiled.

I swear, I'll never smoke again – He whispered, not sure if he would be able to fulfill such promise.

Thank you – She said, still smiling. They hadn't told him, but they were worried about him. He had been acting weird and distant the past weeks and they couldn't think of a reason for this behavior. And now with the drinking and smoking, she knew it was getting serious. –Ok, I got the candles. Listen, I'm gonna leave you now, but I need to talk to you later, so don't go anywhere.

I'll be here – He knew what she wanted to talk about, he knew they were all worried about him, but, to be honest, he didn't want to have that conversation and come up with an excuse for them to buy. The easiest thing to do was to avoid them until they let it go.

But right now he needed to focus on something more important, he needed to get his life back on track, and in order to do that, he needed to quit his job, again. He couldn't stand in anymore. Advertising was his thing, so the last week he had been sending out lots of resumes and he even got a couple of interviews. He didn't want to tell any of his friends yet; he wanted to be sure he had the job first.

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><p>He hated seeing Richard, just running into him by accident made his day somehow worse. He walked into the coffee house, relieved this time it was only the six of them. He sat down right next to Monica, luckily the only free spot, resting his arm behind her, not quite touching her, but close enough to feel her his. He would have to settle for this, sitting next to her, talking to her, being nothing but her friend, and then she would get married and move out some place far away, and that'd be the last time he'd ever see her.<p>

Chandler! - he snapped back into reality at the sound of Rachel's voice– Why are you so quiet? you haven't said anything since you came in, you didn't even laugh at my story.

Yeah dude! –Joey finally talked – You've changed a lot in the past weeks, it's like you're a whole different person… I don't like this new Chandler! – He said childishly as he threw his arms in the air in a typical Joey fashion.

Guys, there's nothing to worry about, really, I just- He was interrupted by a tall figure getting close to the group. He stood up immediately as he saw who it was, and let him take his place on the couch.

Hi sweety- They greeted eachother with a soft kiss, then he proceeded to wrap his right arm around her, and she rested her hand on his leg, like she always did. Three weeks, only three weeks and she looked so in love, he couldn't remember if she looked that happy while they were secretly dating. Maybe this was all for the best, maybe Richard was the man for her after all.

I gotta go, my lunch break is over – Chandler stormed out of the coffee shop, cursing the moment he had woken up in this twisted reality.

Phoebe, who noticed his weird behavior, followed him outside.

Chandler, wait! – She said, grabbing his arm – I think I know what's going on here.

You do? – He asked incredulous.

Yes, I've noticed the way you look at Richard, and how you get all flustered every time you see him-

So **she knew** after all.

It's all pretty obvious, you love Richard – "yes, good old Phoebe never failed to surprise hi- wait, what?"

What? NO! I hate that big tree! – He replied angrily, kicking away the leaves under his shoe.

Yes I know, but you should've seen your reaction, it was priceless – she laughed.

She **did** know.

You have a crush on Monica – She finally said.

"It's much more than that" he wanted to say, but she wouldn't understand. He was in love with her, in his eyes, she was still the same Monica he had dated and married, the love of his life, the only woman he would settle down for.

Y-yes, but it's just a teeny tiny crush, please don't tell her, or anybody else, it will go away sooner than later, in fact I think it's gone right now, and I would really appreciate if we never talked about this again. Plus! I'm not acting weird because of that, it's because of something related to work - He lied, trying to sound convincing.

Ok, I won't tell her, but just so you know, I could help you get her-

He just smiled slightly in response, turned around and walked away, hoping she would forget the whole conversation soon.

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><p>It was 2 o' clock when he got back to the building. He was so exhausted and depressed he accidentally opened the wrong door. Apartment 20. The only place he could call home. And there she was, soundly asleep at the kitchen table. Breathing in and out peacefully, Richard was nowhere to be seen. He smiled at the sight, as he sat next to her, and brushed a lock of hair off her face. He felt his soft skin, running his fingers through his cheek; he leaned to plant a soft kiss on her forehead, and stared at her for a while until she finally woke up.<p>

-Chandler? What are you doing here? – She asked confused, rubbing her eyes, not quite awake yet.

-This morning you said you wanted to talk to me, so here I am. Is Richard here by the way?

-He just left. What time is it?

-Forget about the time. Let's just… talk.

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><p><em>Ok, that was it, No flashback this time. Expect a lot of dialogue for the next chapter. Rate and Review!<em>


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